[WolfeMacleod]

Ok.  I've read the various write-ups on replacing the door handle gaskets.  Even read the service manual section that covers the door handles.  To say it's lacking some details is an understatement.

  So far, I've put over 24 hours into just one side.  It's absolutely maddening, even with the inner door panel removed.

 

  I'm stuck at reattaching the locking mechanism to the lower ball joint.  People say "reach up through the forced air vent hole with long pliers and PRESTO!" like it's some sort of magick. 

 

  I've tried pliers, several types of long hemostats, prayer, cursing, swearing, and banging my head on a log. 

  The lower part of the window frame is unbolted so it is moved.  Slightly.  The anti-theft shield is removed. 

 

  The closest I've come so far was by looping a piece of wire around the arm that the ball joint is on, and pulling the arm downwards, while pressing the door open lever to drop the locking arm down enough to barely touch it with my fingertip and maybe position it over the ball.    But I'll be darned if I can apply enough pressure on it to pop it in. After all, it's the very tippy tip of my finger,  

  Even using a borescope to really see clearly, and pliers... nope, nosiree.

  My neighbor's son is a surgeon.  he tried it today and failed as well.

 

 I've attacked it from every angle, and every hole I could fit a tool into. 

 

 

   Short of disassembling the entire window, what's the trick?  Tiny people on the end of the pliers?  The Force?  Grease?  

 

 

   When the white connector kept falling down, I had to use a paperclip with a hook on the end in my mouth while my hands were doing things like holding the door handle steady and holding a screwdriver to pop it on,  in order to retrieve it and finish that step.

 

  I have never done anything so maddening. 

 

 Does anyone happen to have the #138 June 2005 Excellence mag which has the article about this?

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[Spokayman]

I do have that Excellence issue Wolfe.

The article in that issue describes how to replace the door handle-to-body seals without disconnecting any of the handle/lock linkage.

It describes how to slip the new rubber seal over the handle and lock mechanism while it is still all connected.

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[MLB]

Hi WolfeMacleod,

I sure sympathize with your difficulties.

I also replaced the outer rubber gaskets without disconnecting any of the handle connections (warmed the gaskets with a hair dryer or hot water and slipped them over slowly and carefully)

Obviously thats of no help now that you have things apart...


But soon i will be inside the doors AGAIN to address Central Locking issues, and i may be in a position to suggest something useful...

michael

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[RDKeysor]

Regards getting the nylon fitting over the steel ball in the door latch mechanism.  Having spent a lot of time on my back peering up through the port in the trailing edge of the door trying to do this, I took the nylon fitting to my drill index, selected a drill just a hair larger than the existing hole, hand-turned the drill to ream it out a bit.  I then found I could easily push the nylon bit over the ball.  To make sure the piece doesn't detach from the ball, I looped a bit of soft wire around the connection and gave it a twist. This solution may offend some 968 owners, but it works.  As for replacing the gasket between the door handle and body, I simply cut the gasket in an unseen spot and slid it into place without taking the door handle off.

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[WolfeMacleod]

Thanks guys.  I finally got it done on Sunday, after around 24 hours total of fighting with that ball joint alone.

 

 Eventually, I grabbed a tool that I was certain would not work, because it gave the worst working angle, worst mobility inside the door...

 

 I did, however, manage to get some nifty video of how not to do it, filmed with my borescope.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPvKfHHi074

 

  and one of how to do it, right at the very end.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbkbclaAYJk

 

  Also, this is pretty cool..  the foam pad behind my inner door handle was badly deteriorated.  So I made some new ones...

[sharedmedia=gallery:images:2830]
 
 
 
I wonder why this video shows only as a link...
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-4o4IGn5EU&t=1s

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[RDKeysor]

The videos bring back painful memories.  Trust me, the nylon  piece will slip over the ball much more easily if the hole is enlarged as I described earlier. While the working direction of the lever doesn't tend to make the ball and fitting detach, a loop of mild wire around the pair will prevent that from happening.  The first thing I found when doing this is that removing the door panel gets you nothing.  Don't bother.

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[WolfeMacleod]

The videos bring back painful memories.  Trust me, the nylon  piece will slip over the ball much more easily if the hole is enlarged as I described earlier. While the working direction of the lever doesn't tend to make the ball and fitting detach, a loop of mild wire around the pair will prevent that from happening.  The first thing I found when doing this is that removing the door panel gets you nothing.  Don't bother.

 

I found the way to get the gasket on the handle without having to remove the handle completely.  No linkages.  No door panels.  No cutting of the gasket, as some do.  Nothing except pulling the handle out partly from the door.

  Wish I had discovered this earlier.  Previous attempts at doing something similar didn't work.  But you can force the thinnest part of the gasket over the locking mechanism and.. BAM!  

  I filmed it,

 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl1hPZrXEgM

 

Not sure why the first two videos would embed, but this one won't...

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[shaginwagon]

Wolfe: Thanks for posting the video, I did both doors on my 95 today in less than 30 minutes. I let the new gaskets sit in the sun for a few minutes, they were soft and pliable which made slipping it over the locking mechanism very easy.

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[WolfeMacleod]

Wolfe: Thanks for posting the video, I did both doors on my 95 today in less than 30 minutes. I let the new gaskets sit in the sun for a few minutes, they were soft and pliable which made slipping it over the locking mechanism very easy.

 

  You are welcome.

   Also, for anyone in the Seattle area with crumbling gaskets, I'd be willing to do this for them if needed, or assist.  

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[rxter]

I was practically cheering when you finally got it.  Man you have way more patience that I do.  What is truly amazing is the boroscope.

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[WolfeMacleod]

I was practically cheering when you finally got it.  Man you have way more patience that I do.  What is truly amazing is the boroscope.

 

The borescope made it so easy to see what I was doing, instead of relying on a mirror or laying on the ground trying to peer up through the hole while looking into the blazing sun that was overhead during that week.  The weather then was highly unusual.  

 

  Here's the Borescope that I used.  It works great.   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MX3...UTF8&psc=1

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[J.Elenbaas]

Today i replaced the driver side doorhandle and mirror gaskets.

I don't want to try the method from the Youtube video, because i care about my paint.

 

I took out the window and guide rail which is a 10 minute job, and gaining a lot of space to unclip and reclip the locking mechanism.

The best thing off all is that you can see what you are doing..

When you leave the window in, there is just no room for my fingers behind the window guide rail for reattaching the mechanism.

 

Bolting back the guide rail, window and window mechanism is another 15 minutes work.

 

Jack

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